Cake (2014)

** 1/2 out of ****

I always knew she could do it......

I'm going to draw a bit of an odd parallel here..... is it possible that Jennifer Aniston could become this generation's Michael Keaton?  After success in a bunch of fluffy comedies (“Night Shift”, “Mr. Mom”, “Gung Ho”, "Beetlejuice”) at the age of 37 Michael Keaton proved what had long been suspected – that he was a hellova actor.  1988's “Clean and Sober” put him in a role that challenged every aspect of his abilities – rage, vulnerability, fear, ego – and he knocked it out of the park.  But you always knew that he had it in him – even in his lightweight films you could see the talent was there.  Since that film he has appeared time and again in extraordinary roles (though admittedly in plenty of goofy ones too) such as in “Pacific Heights”, “My Life” and “Jackie Brown”.

Aniston has had a similar early career in film.  She has been in little beyond run-of-the-mill rom-coms, though many of them have been extremely successful.  But always there have been clear flashes that she has “it” - that given the right opportunity to shine as an actress, she will deliver in spades.

Much like “Clean and Sober” for Keaton, “Cake” is the role where she finally delivers.  In a rather dull drama about addiction, loss and mourning, Aniston's performance is easily the best work she has ever done.  She carries this film all alone, and despite a lack of depth of virtually every other character she makes your heart ache for her.

Claire (Aniston) is a woman in pain.  For much of the early movie we don't know why.  She has survived a devastating car accident, is covered in scars and has pins throughout her lower body.  She lives in agony, barely able to move about and downing Percosets and Oxycodone like they were tic tacs.  Little explanation is given about the background of the accident through the first hour, though we later find that in it her young son was killed.  Her misery over his loss and her guilt at her inability to save him has driven her husband away, leaving her to deal with everything alone with her maid (Adriana Barraza).

As a part of her physical therapy Claire attends a “chronic pain” support group, which is where we first meet her.  She begins to become slightly obsessed with Nina (Anna Kendrick), a member that committed suicide a month earlier and she befriends Nina's widower and young son.  She is, in general, thought of as a moody bitch and to be honest that is exactly how she sees herself.  Her obsession with the suicide victim is based around her desire to end her own life and suffering, and she even hallucinates Nina encouraging her to end it.

Very similar to Keaton, there is a scene that is simply crushing.  With “Clean and Sober” it was a scene where Keaton, as a drug addict on the run from a $50,000 embezzling problem, makes a phone call to try to convince his mother to mortgage her home to cover his debt.  In “Cake”, it is a scene where Claire walks into her living room to find a large blown up photo of her dead son.  The pain and loss in her eyes is amazing – she sells it completely and I wanted nothing more than for Claire to find comfort.  Incredible scene.

Overall the film is simply okay, but it is made that good only by Aniston.  Without the power of her lead this would have been an awfully dreary and depressing ride.  But as it stands it is worth watching just to see that she really is a great talent.  I hope she follows in Michael's footsteps and spends the next 20 or 30 years taking more roles where she can really stretch her legs as an actress.  I knew she had it in her, and here it is to see.